After a season-long hiatus, Gwen Stefani returned to her big red chair for The Voice season 26. Stacking her team with talent, the former No Doubt frontwoman arrived on the hunt for her second victory. (Her first came in season 19 with Carter Rubin.) Now we’ve arrived at Part 1 of the finale, and all Stefani’s championship hopes hinge on teen phenomenon Sydney Sterlace. The 16-year-old from upstate New York made a convincing case for herself with Monday’s (Dec. 9) performance of ” .”

Watch Sydney Sterlace’s Top 5 Performance Of Gracie Abrams Hit


Bringing maturity and talent well beyond her 16 years, Sydney Sterlace delivered a free-spirited rendition of Gracie Abrams’ “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” She later returned to the stage for a cover of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.”


After nailing her Blind Audition cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” Sterlace shocked The Voice coaches and viewers with the revelation that she was just 15 years old.

The mature, confident performance had coaches Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani fighting over Sterlace. Fortunately for the “Hollaback Girl” hitmaker, Sterlace admitted she had “had my heart set on Gwen” from the beginning.


Sterlace bested fellow Team Gwen member Sloane Simon in the Battle Rounds with her spin on Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.” She followed that with mesmerizing performances of Lewis Capaldi’s “Bruises” in the Knockouts and Taylor Swift’s folk ballad “betty” in the Playoffs. Sterlace sealed her Top 5 fate in the Live Shows with a soaring delivery of another Billie Eilish tune, “when the party’s over.”

Regardless of Tuesday’s (Dec. 10) results, Sterlace has certainly carved out a fanbase during her time on The Voice. “If sydney doesn’t win I’ll riot,” one viewer wrote on X/Twitter.

What’s Next For ‘The Voice?’

Alas, Sydney Sterlace and her fellow Top 5 finalists must wait another 24 hours before learning which one of them will walk away with the record deal and $100,000 cash prize. The Voice returns at 9 p.m. Eastern Tuesday (Dec. 10) on NBC for the conclusion of the two-part live season 26 finale.

Pulling out all the stops, The Voice has a star-studded lineup of performers waiting in the wings for Tuesday’s episode. Dynamic country duo Riley Green and Ella Langley will team up for a duet of their latest hit, “Don’t Mind If I Do.” Former coach Kelly Clarkson will also perform her new holiday single, “You For Christmas.”